A Prayer for Restoration
1 Remember,OLord, what has come upon us;
# Look, and beholdour reproach!
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens,
And our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans and waifs,
# Our mothersarelikewidows.
4 We pay for the water we drink,
And our wood comes at a price.
5 Theypursue at our heels;
We laborandhave no rest.
6 We have given our handtothe Egyptians
# AndtheAssyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our fathers sinnedandareno more,
But we bear their iniquities.
8 Servants rule over us;
Thereisnone to deliverusfrom their hand.
9 We get our breadattheriskof our lives,
Because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin is hot as an oven,
Because of the fever of famine.
11 Theyravished the women in Zion,
The maidens in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes were hung up by their hands,
And elders were not respected.
13 Young menground at the millstones;
Boys staggered underloadsofwood.
14 The elders have ceasedgatheringatthe gate,
# And the young men from theirmusic.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased;
# Our dance has turned intomourning.
16 The crown has fallenfromour head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this our heart is faint;
# Because of thesethingsour eyes grow dim;
18 Because of Mount Zion which isdesolate,
With foxes walking about on it.
19 You, OLord,remain forever;
# Your throne from generation to generation.
20 Why do You forget us forever,
Andforsake us for so long a time?
21 Turn us back to You, OLord, and we will be restored;
Renew our days as of old,
22 Unless You have utterly rejected us,
Andare very angry with us!